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Scooped by Seth Dixon onto Geography Education |
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There are many amazing examples of artists who turn to cartography and geography for inspiration. Whether through the lens of a camera, paint, ...
This series of cartographically-inspired art works changes how we look at maps. Some of these artists also make us think of places that are on the Earth as explicitly "mappable" features. I think the Google Maps push-pin in the city center is my favorite. Which do you prefer?
Tags: art, mapping, place, cartography.
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What to Expect When No One's Expecting: America's Coming Demographic Disaster [Jonathan V. Last] on Amazon.com. *FREE* super saver shipping on qualifying offers. Look around you and think for a minute: Is America too crowded?
Seth Dixon's insight:
I have yet to read this book, but the title alone says that it could be an intriguing supplemental text for a unit on population (or an 'opposing viewpoint' to consider). For those that have read the book, please comment below. Tags: USA, declining population, population, demographics, models. 
Monica S Mcfeeters's curator insight,
April 28, 7:36 PM
I really wasn't sure where to put this scoop. There may be a time when the GMOs affect our fertility as many think GMOs are affecting herds fed GMOs. The physical environment might affect this as well. The social and economic challenges may impact fertility and plain selfishness and putting industrial needs over human needs could affect it as well. It looks like an interesting book so I thought I would make note of it. 
Tara Cohen's comment,
May 1, 2:58 PM
I ordered this book from Amazon because I thought it would be a great fit for AP Human. I read the first 20 pages last night and was blown away. It totally covers all the information in the Demography Unit and the author has a sense of humor. Only 20 pages in, but I give it two thumbs up!
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Grant Thrall, Ph.D., pioneered a new field of study — business geography — at the University of Florida. Business geography involves using sophisticated technologies to interpret and analyze data to help businesses make decisions.
Seth Dixon's insight:
I understand that my readers are not people that I need to convince the geo-literacy is an essential component for a 21st century education; but we are the people that need to convince principals, politicians, school administrators, teachers and parents that teaching geography is fundamental. Consider this an accessible article to use to make the case for geography for someone who sees the educational value from a business perspective. Tags: edtech, unit 1 GeoPrinciples, geo-inspiration, geography education, models, spatial. 
Tony Hall's curator insight,
April 15, 9:43 PM
While I find business quite boring, I do understand it's necessity. I think this illustrates very nicely the relevance of studying geography and how it relates to the "real" world. Delete the scoop?
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Central Places:Theory and Applications produced by Ken Keller (kellek@danbury.k12.ct.us) adapted from Don Ziegler.
Seth Dixon's insight:
The Central Place Theory is a model that is not used much today in academic geography, but given it's explicitly spatial nature, it is used in many geography curricula (including AP Human Geography) to show systems thinking and spatial patterns. This powerpoint goes over the main ideas of the theory developed by Walter Christaller as well as some examples.
chris tobin's comment,
March 12, 6:27 PM
This is interesting. Threshold and ranges are excellent tools to market goods and services especially within the hexagon model but also with statistical informaton on socioeconomic status and dispersement within a population for marketing purposes. Thanks- great information.
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In this age of fast travel and instant digital communications, we tend to forget that not so long ago, distances were subjectively very different.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This series of maps shows the great leaps and bounds that were made during the 19th century in transportation technology in the United States. This impacted population settlement, economic interactions and functionally made the great distances seem smaller. This is what many call the time-space compression; the friction of distance is diminished as communication and transportation technologies improve. Questions to Ponder: When someone says they live "10 minutes away," what does that say about how we think about distance, transportation infrastructure and time? How is geography still relevant in a world where distance appears to becoming less of a factor?
Tags: transportation, models, globalization, diffusion. 
geofoodgraz's curator insight,
December 15, 2012 4:35 AM
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.'s insight:
"This series of maps shows the great leaps and bounds that were made during the 19th century in transportation technology in the United States. This impacted population settlement, economic interactions and functionally made the great distances seem smaller. This is what many call the time-space compression; the friction of distance is diminished as communication and transportation technologies improve.
Questions to Ponder: When someone says they live "10 minutes away," what does that say about how we think about distance, transportation infrastructure and time? How is geography still relevant in a world where distance appears to becoming less of a factor? " Delete the scoop?
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It is possible in many cities to identify zones with a particular type of land use - eg a residential zone. Often these zones have developed due to a combination of economic and social factors. In some cases planners may have tried to separate out some land uses, eg an airport is separated from a large housing estate. The concentric and sector models in one news article? The BBC is showing once again the possibilities available if only the United States taught more geography in the schools.
Tags: urban, models, unit 7 cities, APHG. Delete the scoop?
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It was just over two centuries ago that the global population was 1 billion — in 1804. But better medicine and improved agriculture resulted in higher life expectancy for children, dramatically increasing the world population, especially in the West. This is an excellent video for population and demographic units, but also for showing regional and spatial patterns within the global dataset (since terms like 'overpopulation' and 'carrying capacity' inherently have different meanings in distinct places and when analyzed at various scales). It is also a fantastic way to visualize population data and explain the ideas that are foundational for the Demographic Transition Model. Tags: population, scale, visualization, Demographics, models, unit 2 population, sustainability, regions, spatial. Delete the scoop?
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Births have plummeted since their 2007 peak, and the recession is a factor. There's worry that the birthrate will be affected for years.
The graph for this article is an incredible visual that highlights how the economic conditions of a country can impact its demographics. Not surprisingly, Americans have less children during tough times. Questions to ponder: would this phenomenon be expected in all parts of the world? Why or why not? Demographically, what will the long-term impact of the recession be? Delete the scoop?
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Amazon has long enjoyed an unbeatable price advantage over its physical rivals. When I buy a $1,000 laptop from Wal-Mart, the company is required to collect local sales tax from me, so I pay almost $1,100 at checkout.
Just-in-Time production has reshaped the logistics of manufacturing. How does same-day online delivery impact local retail businesses? How might this change urban patterns of retail stores and of areas of warehouses? 
Roland Trudeau Jr.'s comment,
July 12, 2012 5:17 PM
People like to shop, not everyone but most. If there's one thing I've learned from being in retail all my working life it's that people need to hold and look and inspect something. Certainly you can return the item, but that takes time and sometimes extra money. The promise of physically seeing the item is better for most. The other side of the coin is people who simply can't get out or don't want to. For elderly or disabled who are computer literate they have ease of access and can just click on what they want to buy. Internet purchases unfortunately also are easier for fraud.. and it sounds to me that those lockers may be an even easier way for it to happen. Not to look on a darker side but that will increase sales too... for a short time anyway.
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How we die (in one chart)...
This infographic shows the main causes of death in 1900 in the United States and compares that with the 2010 figures. The United States, during that time underwent what many call the epidemiological transition (in essence, in developed societies we now die for different reason and generally live longer) What are the geographic factors that influence these shifts in the mortality rates? What is better about society? Has anything worsened? How come?
Roland Trudeau Jr.'s comment,
July 9, 2012 12:36 PM
Of course medicine has changed a great amount in over a century, but the fact that they were concerned with cannon balls back then? Were there that many pirates, and circus acts?
Kim Vignale's comment,
July 9, 2012 10:33 PM
In the 1900s, there were more "natural" caused illnesses but not enough medicine or technology to alleviate these diseases, hence, the greater mortality rate. Presently, medicine and technology has changed for the greater good. Many of the diseases are cured and more people living longer due to this. However, mortality caused by heart disease and cancer have increased in 2010; this is probably due to higher calorie diets and exposure to preservatives and radiation.
Don Brown Jr's comment,
July 10, 2012 7:17 PM
Looking back and comparing the 1900’s to 2010, I think it is becoming quite evident that our surrounding environment and what we consume impacts our health. Honestly what kind of cancer are you not at risk of getting today? Factors can vary from the genetically altered food we consume, radiation emitted from our cell phones or even prolonged exposure to the sun. While combating harmful pathogens and bacteria may have been a critical health concern and challenge of the early 20th century, finding remedies to an increasingly toxic environment may characterize the medical needs of the 21st century.
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This is a great public Prezi that covers many (all?) of the models and theories that are a part of the AP Human Geography course. I love it when teachers digitally share their resources, so others can benefit from their class work. Delete the scoop?
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HometownAnnapolis.com - A Web site for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. Powered by Capital Gazette Communications and The Capital Newspaper.
This short article discusses the demographic shift in urban areas since the collapse of the housing bubble (explicitly referencing Burgess' Concentric Zone Model!). With higher gas prices discouraging long commutes, is the era of sprawl over? Some feel that suburban housing prices aren't in momentary decline, but that this represents a new normal as we reconceptualize the city and urban land values. For more on the decline of the Exurbs, see: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/04/05/growth-exurbs-falls-historic-low/WEsMHqBISD1n60T7WCJdTO/story.html ; Delete the scoop?
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Eighty-two years after the original development of the four stage Demographic Transition Model (DTM) by the late demographer Warren Thompson (1887-1973), the cracks are starting to show on the model that for many years revolutionized how we think about the geography of our global population. Via Mr. David Burton Delete the scoop?
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The United Nations says today symbolically marks the moment when the world's population reaches 7 billion. A little more than two centuries ago, the global population was 1 billion. How did it grow so big so fast?
This is an excellent way to visualize population data and explain the ideas that are foundational for the Demographic Transition Model. Delete the scoop?
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Seth Dixon's insight:
Ironically, some land use patterns become more visible as the sun goes down. There are some sharp borders in this image of Toronto that was taken by the Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield and it is a wonderful teaching image. Questions to ponder: Why is there such sharp divisions between the illuminated and obscure portions of the image? What does this sharp division say about the land use patterns? Would we see this pattern in the United States? Why or why not? What urban model(s) can help explain the spatial layout of Toronto? Tags: urban, planning, remote sensing, geospatial, Canada, models, unit 7 cities. Delete the scoop?
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What would John Snow's famous cholera map look like on a modern map of London, using modern mapping tools?
Seth Dixon's insight:
John Snow's cholera map is often noted as a prime example of using spatial thinking to solve a scientific problem. Here are a variety of resources to explore this classic example. Here is an article that highlights the spatial thinking that produced this map, with KML files and in Google Fusion Tables. See also these online GIS layers of Dr. Snow's famous map. Delete the scoop?
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"The nation's fertility rate has slipped below replacement levels partly because of the recession and a decline in immigration. That's raising concern about the nation's future."
Seth Dixon's insight:
During this recent recession, fertility rates in the United States have dropped with many speculating that the financial investment in child-rearing caused this shift. The big question is this: will birth rates bounce back when the economy fully recovers or is the United States population going to follow the example of Western Europe? What would the impact be for both of these scenarios? Tags: USA, declining population, population, demographics, models, unit 2 population. 
Brett Sinica's comment,
April 23, 3:11 PM
These stats are hard to take in, because it seems like even though birth rates are considered to be dropping, the country’s total population continues to rise, and fast. Immigration probably plays a major role in the adding of new citizens, though just because birth rates are decreasing it shouldn’t necessarily mean a bad thing. With a slow increase of people, there could possibly be drops in the unemployment rate, or even poverty level at a big stretch. With fewer people in the country, it could mean less competition among others, leaving more options for people to pursue. It says at the end of the article that, “there are no cases of peace and prosperity in the face of declining populations.” This may hold true to an extent, but look at China for example. Their population is the largest in the world, containing roughly 20 of the 30 most polluted cities and being the top consumer of energy. Though the country has an unemployment level which is half of ours, they must put in place family planning methods such as the “one-child policy” to hope for better population control. If I know the United States, I highly doubt they would ever resort to such measures, unless the government wants uproars. So maybe I’m optimistic about the birth rate drops, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Maybe we should rid of the self-checkouts and automated answering machines and slowdown in technology so we don’t find ourselves in a situation that’d become too hard to handle.
Meg Conheeny's comment,
April 26, 2:48 PM
This decline in birth rates is largely due to the recession; people don’t want to have children because they can’t afford the care. We need to have a balance in our population. Having one age group, like elderly people, dominating over other generations can be a problem. Even though the birth rates are decreasing, our population is still growing at a steady rate. Immigrants trying to make a home for themselves and their families in the United States contribute in a big way to our population increase.
I think that when and if the economy bounces back, families will start to feel comfortable with their finances and the birth rate will spike. Yet, if the birth rate does get back to normalcy and the immigrants continue to come to this country maybe our population will see too much of an increase and overpopulation could be a problem. But I doubt our country will ever adopt the “one-child policy” currently in use in China, we will find some other way to control our population, whatever that may be. 
Brianna Simao's comment,
April 30, 10:45 PM
The recession is a huge factor as to why the birth/fertility rate is dropping. It costs a lot of money to have a child and most people can’t afford to care for themselves never mind another baby. Even though the birth rate has been decreasing over the years, the population is still increasing due to immigration. With the birth rate decreasing the level of poverty could potentially decrease as well because there will not be an economic burden. I don’t think there should be too much of a concern about the birthrate dropping because once the economy returns to normal I’m sure people will want to expand their family. I do agree to a certain extent with the statement in the article: “Population growth leads to human innovation, and innovation leads to conservation ... There are no cases of peace and prosperity in the face of declining populations.” Overpopulation, like in China, causes many issues, not just economically.
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Unicharm Corp.’s sales of adult diapers in Japan exceeded those for babies for the first time last year. At Daiei Inc. supermarkets, customers can feel Japan aging -- literally: It has made shopping carts lighter. Japan's demographic shifts are well-chronicled: the Japanese are having fewer children and the improvements in healthcare mean that the elderly are living longer than ever. Combined this means that Japan's population pyramid is getting "top heavy." This population change is having huge econmic impacts as the percentage of Japanese people is now over 23%. Retailers and industries are heavily targeting this expanding demographic with financial clout that outspends all other cohorts. Tags: Japan, declining population, economic, population, demographics, unit 2 population, East Asia, consumption. Delete the scoop?
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Learn more: http://www.khanacademy.org/video?v=r1ywppAJ1xs Thomas Malthus's views on population. Malthusian limits. This is a succinct (but not perfect) summary of Malthusian ideas on population. What do you think of his ideas? Any specific parts of his theory that you agree with? Do you disagree with some of his ideas? What did history have to say about it? Tags: Demographics, population, models, APHG, unit 2 population. 
Kalin B.'s comment,
November 5, 2012 11:25 AM
It's interesting how much of a following this theory has received, even though it leaves so many holes in its variables and factors.
timokos's curator insight,
May 16, 6:19 AM
Als wetenschapshistoricus die is afgestudeerd op vroege evolutietheorieen (voor Darwin) één van mijn favorieten! Delete the scoop?
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Adapted from the book by Professor Susan Hanson...
This is an excellent review/summary of an edited volume that shows the value of geographic thought and its importance in the modern world. This review conveniently gives a one paragraph synopsis of each chapter. It does not need to be read chronologically, so you can pick and choose what you find relevant to your course. The top 10 are (in order of inclusion in the book): the Idea of the Map, the Weather Map, GIS, Human Adjustment, Water Budget Climatology, Human Transformation of the Earth, Spatial Organization and Interdependence, Central Place Theory, Megalopolis and Sense of Place. Delete the scoop?
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Public health crises of the past decade — such as the 2003 SARS outbreak, which spread to 37 countries and caused about 1,000 deaths, and the 2009 H1N1 flu p...
The spread of infectious diseases is inherently connected to the mobility of infected. Airports are important nodes in this complex transportation network. Which airports would have the greatest potential to spread diseases? At MIT, they've gathered data that incorporates variations in travel patterns among individuals, the geographic locations of airports, the disparity in interactions among airports, and waiting times at individual airports to create a tool that could be used to predict where and how fast a disease might spread. To read more, see the associated article. Delete the scoop?
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THE giant American conglomerate General Electric (GE) holds more assets abroad than any other non-financial firm in the world—over $500 billion worth. Its foreign assets make up over 70% of its total.
While we may think of Volkswagen as a "German" company, 78% of their assets are in other countries. What advantages is there for companies to have operations in multiple countries? How do transnational corporations change the geographies of production, consumption and economics? Delete the scoop?
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"Many of the original and innovative contributions to the field of urban sociology came out of the University of Chicago in the early 20th Century. Influenced by the natural sciences, in particular evolutionary biology, members of the Chicago School forwarded an ecological approach to sociology emphasizing the interaction between human behavior, social structures and the built environment. In their view, competition over scarce resources, particularly land, led to the spatial differentiation of urban areas into zones of similar use and similar social groups. Two of the major proponents of urban ecology were Ernest Burgess and Robert E. Park, professors at the University of Chicago, who together in 1925 published a book entitled The City."
Many students struggle with models when there isn't a corresponding example. The Concentric Zone Model and Chicago are a great marriage. Delete the scoop?
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This particular graph shows Total Fertility (x axis) and Life Expectancy (y axis) which collectively can explain some of what can be called human development. This is an interactive graphic that shows both temporal and regional patterns in changes in development. 
Seth Dixon's comment,
April 24, 2012 8:26 PM
Absolutely...the changes in life expectancy show that for the lower classes especially, life in a 'less' developed country today is better than life in many of the developed countries hundreds of years ago.
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This is the new and improved version of the familiar map can teach regions (formal, functional, vernacular) as well as the importance on TV markets as a diffusion mechanism for culture. As mentioned by Andy Baker, "This map is also useful for showcasing 'threshold' and 'range' from 'Central Place Theory.' For instance, I ask my students, 'Why are the Mid-Atlantic & California coasts boundaries (range) so small compared to Great Plains teams?'" Great idea Andy! 
's comment, January 28, 2012 12:21 PM
This map is also useful for showcasing "threshold" and "range" from "Central Place Theory." For instance, I ask my students, "Why are the Mid-Atlantic & California coasts boundaries (range) so small compared to Great Plains teams?"
By the way, every Social Studies teacher (K-12, Post-Secondary) should have Seth's page bookmarked. Too much applicable & good stuff on here. 
's comment, January 30, 2012 2:14 PM
It's crazy how obsessed the eastern side of the country is with baseball, but how oblivious and uninterested the western side is.
's comment, February 2, 2012 5:17 PM
I'd like to see a sales map with this because even thoug the Yankees and Redsox regions are much smaller than the Atlanta Braves or Texas Rangers, they pobably sell MUCH more.
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At TEDxPhilly, Next American City editor at large Diana Lind explains why cities should rethink their highway infrastructure. For generations, the prominent model of urbanism accepted in the U.S. has placed the automobile as the top priority for public places, placing massive highways right in the middle of key downtown areas. Some cities (including Denver, DC, NYC, Providence and Dallas) are rethinking the relationship between urban spaces and the transportation networks. Delete the scoop?
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